Direction-indicator.



H. D. BALLJ. I. FLOYD & L. S. GARR. DRBGTION INDICATOR. A'PPLIOATIQN'HLBD MAY 1a, 1914 1,126,684.. Patented Feb. 2, 1915l n nnj Il l H. D. BALL, J. I. FLOYD L L. S. CARR.

DIRBGTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1s, 1914..

1,126,684. Patented Eebjz, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@XMM

HORACE D. BALL, JOHN '1'.

FLOYD, AND LEONARD S. CARR, OF BELOIT, WISCQNSXN.

DIRECTION-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application inea may 1s, 1914. serial Nn. 839,342.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, VHormon D. BALL, JOHN I. FLOYD, and LEONARD S. CARR, citizens of the United States, residing at Beloit, in the county of Rock and State of `Wiscon sin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for indicating directions and more particularly to those for use with motor vehicles, for the purpose of signifying by a display character, the direction in which the operative intends to turn the vehicle.

One of the primary objects of' our invention is to provide a direction indicator of improved design and construction which will have few movable parts and. which will be cheap to manufacture.

Another object of our invention is to provide a pair` of indicating characters arranged in a novel manner, movable to indicating and which will tion representation.

A further object of our invention is to provide in a direction indicator, a simple mechanism for operating the indicating characters, whereby many-movable parts which complicate the manner and operation of the device, 4are avoided.

A further object of ourl invention is to provide a pair of indicating characters, electro-magnets, and means operable between the indicating characters and electro-magnets whereby each magnet may be rendered operative for moving a certain character into a display position.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is "a plan sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 of our improved direction indicator. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a detail view taken on the section line 1 -'L yof Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. i', showing the indicating characters in a non-indicating position. Fig. G is a face view of our improved direction indicator, showing the character R moved to a .direction indicating position. Fig. 7 is a similar .view but with the character L in direction indicating position; and Fig. 8 is a view in non-indicating positions, and permit a relatively large d1recV elevation of the rear end of a motor vehicle, showing the application of our improved di rection indicator thereto.

On the drawings illustrating our invention we have shown a rectangular shaped base 9 upon which our improved direction indicating mechanism is mounted, which base may be provided with any suitable or preferred fastening means whereby the device may be attached to a motor vehicle,I either to the front or rear thereof as is customary with such devices.

A casing 11 rectangular in shape, surrounding the base 9 and being detachably connected thereto by screw-bolts 12, is

formed with a top 13 spaced from the base' 9 and provided with a circular raised por tion 14@ having a depressed annular seat 15 and a face-opening 16, whereby a face to the casing is provided.

A relatively thin and non transparent face-member 17 is mounted upon the annu lar seat portion 15, covering the opening 16, and is provided with a rectangular opening A1S which is arranged to occupy substantially the greater right-hand portion of the face 17 as viewed in Figs. 5, G, and 7.

A circular glass face 19 is mounted upon the annular seat 15, surmounting the nontransparent face member 17, and is retained in position by means of an annular rim 21 which is shaped to engage the periphery of the glass face and also the periphery of the raised circular portion 1i. The annular rim 21 may be detachably connected to the casing in any` suitable or preferred manner, itbeing herein shown connected to the raised face portion la by means of screwbolts 22. y

A yoke-shaped bearing standard is formed centrally upon the base within the. casing,

providing vertically alined upper and lower Patenten. rea. a, reis.

means upon which the direction indicating fidnoperable upon by -,barlongitudinally in either of opposlte d1- Characters may be mounted in operative relation with the sight opening 18. This shaft isprovided with a fixed annular flange 20, against which the lower end of the sleeve abuts, for -the purpose-of maintaining the. Shaft seated in its end bearingv and for holding it from actual displacement. It will be noticed from the drawings thatthe pintle j 27 is in vertical val/inement with the sight 10 open1ng18, the purpose of this being to per- Vmit the peculiarlyarranged indicating char'- acters to be properly positioned and. moved relatively to said sight opening.

The characters L and R for signifying the 15y directions left and right, respectively, V are combined-into one character V'or symbol 30 in sucha manner that the vertical strokes of each letter are one and the same, the

" character L being reversed relatively to the "Q20 character, R. r:The vertical stroke of the l combined characters designated by the reference character 28 is fixedly attached to the fpintle '273- so that by 'rotary movement of the' pintlelboth the characters L and RA may 1,251bfe alternatively moved into position beneathv `the sight opening V18"v and be visible therethrough to designate the direction which they represent.

character is shown in a neutral or non-indi- BIQ cating position; in Fig. 6 it is shown with the R character moved into alinement with the lsight vopening to signify right andl 1n -F ig. 7 it is shown with the L character moved toits operative position to signify lrectvi'onsl ,`and a gear and rack connection 36 between-the pintle27 and the bar 3 3. It will be manifest that by movement of the rack- 51'0 `bar",' Bfflongitudinally by either of the, elec- .troam'agnetm the pintle Will be rotated accordingly, and the direction indicating charater .will bemoved relatively to thesight j opening to locate either of its characters in' '1515.5

a readable position. A flat spiral spring 37 surrounding the pintle 27, having oneend Lixedly attached thereto and its opposite end attached.to tlie yoke-.bearing post, serves as 'afmeans tonormally maintain the pintle in ,T a neutral posltlon wherein the direction 1ndicating characters are 1n non-indicating position as shown in Figy, and` also as .means for returning the'plntle toits neutral 'position after the rod 33 has been released gia byether of the magnets.

rear of the vehicle, in the same circuit, the

In Fig 5 the indicating without departing from the spirit and scope tion of a casing having a display openingl illuminated by an artilicial lightin the form of an electric bulb 41 located within the casing is clearly discernible therethrough.

The terminal wires of the electro-magnets designated general-ly lby the reference character 42, 1nay be suitablyarranged and con.- nected with switch means (not shown) located Within control of the operative of the vehicle so that by closing the circuit of either electro-magnet, such magnet may be rendered operative to move one of the char acters into direction indicating position. By connecting the electro-magnet terminals for operating like characters at .the front and like characters -of'both indicating devices may be operated-simul aneously.

It will be seen that with theabove described means for indicating directions a relatively large size direction symbol ma be employed in a comparatively small-face indicatingdevice, and that the 'simple and novel mechanism for operating the indicating characters permits the device to be housed in a small and convenient casing so as to occupy but little'space on the vehicle.

It is believed that our invention and its inode of operation will bel readily understood from theforegoing without further. description; and other modified forms may be made of our invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a direction indicator, the combination of a casing having a display opening therein, a symbol arranged within the casing for signifying different directions, comprising characters L and R arranged With their vertical strokes in common, and means for moving said symbol relatively to the display opening in such manner that either of said characters may be read individually through the said display opening.

2. In a direction indicator, the combina-. l

therein, a symbol. arranged Within'the `casing for signifying different directions, com-A prising characters L and R combined in to a single character, and lmeans for movings'aid.- symbol relatively to the display openingin* such manner that eitherof ythe 'said char-.f

throughthe said display opening. i

-actersL orjR may be read individually:

3. In a directiongindjcator,theicombingspm tion of a casing having a display opening dividually moved into position readable therein, and a symbol for signifying difthrough the display openmg. ferent directions, comprising characters L HORACE D. BALL. and R arranged with their vertical strokes JOHN I. FLOYD. in common, the symbol being pivotally LEONARD S. CARR. mounted at a centrally disposed point there- Witnesses:

'l 0n-so that by movement of the symbol upon J W. DAY,

its pivotts characters L and R may be in- -MADELEINEA WoLL. v 

